Western Kansas world., 1887-12-10
UNCLE BILLY GREENE.
Abraham LincOln's Grammar Teacher
Story Of the Country GrOcery-Miss
Lucinda and the Elephant.
BY PAUL HULL.

Every man who ever dabbled ir
Illinois State politics knows him or hal
heard of him. To these and to those
who knew him in his active business
life he is known as "Slicky Bill
Greene. He is called "Slicky Bill" be-
cause no sharper, shrewder business
man or politician ever lived in Illinois
He is called "Uncle Billy" because he
is an old man. Some call aim the
prophet of Menard" because in him is
nearly all the history of Menard
County; because he is a prominent
figure in old Salem's history, and be-
Jause in Abraham Lincoln's early man
hood Greene was closer to him than
any other man and had more influence
with him.
1t was to Greene that Lincoln con-
fided his secret SORROWS and his hopes.
1t was Greene who, at night in the
grocery store at Salem, held the little
grammar while Lincoln recited his
lessons.
When President Lincoln, at ban
quet at the White House, presented
William G. Greene to William H.
Seward, Mr.. Seward bowed grandly
from across the banquet table and said
4 am pleased to meet you, Mr..
Greene"
ooh, come around here, Seward, and
shake hands with Greene" said Presi.
dent Lincoln; "he is the man who
taught me grammar"
Mr.. Greene says he is not entitled to
this distinction. Lincoln committed
the whole grammar to memory" he
says, "and 1 simply looked on the book
to see that he didn't miss word while
he recited it. When Lincoln tackled
proposition he knew it all before he
quit it; and when he got through with
that grammar he knew more about
grammar than the man who wrote the
book"
Mr.. Greene is IS years old. Lincoln
was three years older. His face shows
his age, and his hair is silver-white. !
imagine he was handsome man in his
youth. His style of conversation is
peculiar to himself. No one who has
ever heard him tell one of his stories
will ever forget him. Mr.. Greene is a
model farmer and has grown rich. In
Owens Success in Life" the three
ideals of the statesman, the merchant,
and the farmer are Henry Clay, A. r..
Stewart, and w. G. Greene.
AS he led us in his parlor he pointed
to picture hanging on the wall, repre-
senting man, horseback, looking into
the window of little house. "That's
supposed to be me-" he said, "lookin'
into the old Salem grocery the mornin'
after the Cleary Grove boys had gone
through it. That was the mornin'
bought the grocery. That was my first
trade-my starter in BUSINESSMAN I'm
prouder of it than anything I ever did.
ut was Reuben Radford's grocery.
He brought the stock of goods up from
st. Louis. Radford had a brother-in-
law named George Spears, who lived
out by Cleary Grove. Radford and
Spears had married sisters. Of course
Mrs. Radford was very anxious to see
her sister, and wanted to go as soon as
possible. Spears had come to town to
see Radford, and had advised him not
to leave his grocery to visit his house
until he had got acquainted with the
Cleary Grove boys. Spears, you see,
knew what kind of fellows the Cleary
Grove boys was-great, big, strong
men, they were, full of the devil, an
every Saturday they'd come to Salem
and drink whisky an fight all day.
Now Radford was hot-headed man,
and Spears was afraid he'd have trouble
with this crowd the first time they got
drunk. Him and Spears talked it over,
an they decided that when the gang
come to town Radford would sell 'em
but two drinks of whisky apiece. Of
course that was mistake, for the
Cleary Grove boys wouldn't stand any
thing like that.
"Well, Mrs. Radford fretted to see
her sister, so finally Radford took her
an left the grocery with the clerk
young feller. Sure enough, while Rad
ford was visitin' Spears, the Cleary
Grove boys come to town. They went
to the new grocery, of course, an got
drink. All groceries sold Ticker in
them days. After awhile thev asked
for another drink around an got it,
But when .hey wanted the third drink
the young fellow wouldn't give it to
'em. He had heard Radford talkin'
about sellin' 'em only two drinks. The
boys just laughed at him an went
around behind the counter to the barrel
and filled their bottles without payin'
for it. They staid in thar an raised
Ned an drank whisky till they was all
drunk.
"As was the style in groceries then,
thar was rows of glass jars up on
shelves on the wall-sample jars of
pepper, glue, allspice, indigo, an such
things Well. these drunk fellers.
along bout goin' home time, got to
throwin' at these jars, seein' who could
knock the most of 'em down at one
throw with q whisky bottle.